Figured Wardrobe From Bas-languedoc Or Surène, 17th Century In Walnut

To create this type of cabinet, carpenters and sculptors worked together: the former assembled the body of the furniture, the latter created the sculpted panels. This cabinet appears quite massive, with the ratio between height and width being close to one. This gives it an impression of strong stability. It is exclusively made from walnut wood. The cabinet has two leaves, separated by a false frame attached to the right leaf. The panels tell the story of the four seasons in the form of naked girls wearing seasonal attributes. The uprights on the right, left and center feature terms that have their origins in the Atlanteans and the Caryatids. They surmount fruit garlands. These patterns are inspired by ancient theater. The boxed side panels contrast with their great sobriety. The cornice is also richly decorated and features mermaids, one of whom holds a mirror, evoking prudence, and mermen. The symmetrical composition is organized in the center from a niche where there is a young woman and her dog. This richly decorated pediment aims to lengthen the silhouette of the building, giving it more finesse. If the inspiration for the scenes represented comes from ancient culture, the codes of interpretation, close to a baroque aesthetic, will refer to the period of creation of this furniture, that is to say the second half of the 17th century. This cabinet presents all the characteristics of the furniture of Jacques Brés, master craftsman